SquashTalk >Cathay Pacific 2001, Hong Kong, China > Qualifiers Concluded

Cathay Pacific 2001

PSA Draw/Results
WISPA Draw
Reports
Sarah Fitz
Qualifier
Day One
Day Two
Round of 16
Quarters
Semis
Finals
PSA Profiles
WISPA Profiles
2000 Cathay
1999 Cathay
History

...Colin McQuillan reports from Hong Kong....

August 20, 2001 - The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Squash Championships today received the qualifiers who join the main fields to open the famous event for the first time as a combined men's and women's tournament after 15 years as the flagship starter for the men's world tour. Not that the men's event is in any way diminished: Peter Nicol, the men's world champion, is second seeded to defend the men's Hong Kong title, with his Canadian arch-rival Jonathon Power the favourite.

These two have had a share in the last four Hong Kong Finals with Nicol taking the last two titles. Their personal record stands in favour of Nicol 12 matches to 11. But, with Nicol facing an old left-handed nemesis in Paul Johnson once he gets past Thierry Lincou of France, and British Open finalist and Cathay Pacific veteran Chris Walker, in the first round and second rounds, and with Lee Beachill, the British Champion who beat him in the quarter-finals of the British Open in June, a possible semi final opponent, the defending champion has more to worry about in Hong Kong than his tale with one Canadian.

Power also has a qualifier to start, Mansoor Zaman of Pakistan, but he knows too that there is at least one good Australian in his half before another contest can transpire against Nicol. Power has won the PSA Masters, the YMG Masters, the Florida Open and the US Open since the last Hong Kong affair. But he lost the Tournament of Champions to Nicol, David Palmer took the British Open in June after the top seeded Canadian lost to Del Harris in the second round, and Palmer beat Power in the Super Series Finals.

Also in the men's top half are the quick and dangerous Egyptian Amr Shabana, the fast improving Malaysian One Beng Hee, Paul Price and Mark Chaloner, as well as a clutch of hungry young men from today's qualifying finals.

The women's field lacks only the fourth ranked Linda Charman-Smith, suffering an ankle injury, as it sets off on a new Grand Prix launch by the Women's International Squashplayers Association under the auspices of The Eye Group, and retains a genuine local content through the unexpected victory of world number 56 Christina Mak over England's Kate Allison in today's Qualifying Finals, and the wild card entry of Hong Kong number one Rebecca Chiu.

New Zealander Leilani Joyce is top seeded for the women's title but as early as the second round she is likely to face England's Cassie Campion and in the same half lurks Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the former world champion who has won the last ten international tournaments and is determined to keep the run rolling until she tries to reclaim the World Open title in front of her home crowd in Melbourne in October.

Chiu plays Stephanie Brind of England in the top half while Mak is drawn against the Dutch Champion, Vanessa Atkinson, in the bottom half.

That bottom half of the women's draw looks like a breeze for World Champion Carol Owens, the former Melbourne player who over the weekend announced that she was switching her national allegiance from Australia to New Zealand, where she now lives. With Charman-Smith dropping out so late, only Former World Junior Champion Tania Bailey of England looks capable of causing any problems for the new Kiwi, and she was said today to be troubled by injury. In fact It may be the oldest stager in the field, 35-year-old former world number two Liz Irving of Australia, a qualifier for this event, who finds herself required at the end of the week to defend Australia's honour against the deserter.

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open Squash Championships Qualifying Finals:

Men:
Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Hadrian Stiff (ENG) 11-15 8-15 15-12 15-9 15-7
John Russell (ENG) bt Mark Cairns (ENG) 15-11 15-13 15-10
Stefan Casteleyn (BEL) bt Bradley Ball (ENG) 12-15 15-10 15-9 15-6
Mansoor Zaman (PAK) bt Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 15-13 15-13 15-10
Jean-Michel Arcucci (FRA) bt Amjad Khan (PAK) 12-15 15-3 15-11 15-5
Tommy Berden (NED) bt Shahid Zaman (PAK) 15-10 15-4 12-15 15-11
Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Adrian Grant (ENG) 15-11 5-15 12-15 15-6 15-9
Tim Garner (ENG) bt Stephen Meads (ENG) 15-11 15-10 15-9

Women:
Tricia Chuah (MAS) bt Eri Tsuchida (JPN) 9-4 9-5 9-3
Laura Keating (AUS) bt Katline Cauwels (BEL) 2-9 9-4 9-5 10-8
Liz Irving (AUS) bye
Cheryl Beaumont (ENG) bt Elise Ng (HKG) 9-4 9-1 9-3
Aisling Blake (IRL) bt Shabana Khan (USA) 9-5 9-2 9-1
Wendy Maitland (SCO) bt Mami Nishio (JPN) 9-4 9-6 9-1
Christina Mak (HKG) bt Kate Allison (ENG) 9-3 9-7 10-8
Sharon Wee (MAS) bt Helen Easton (ENG) 9-2 4-9 9-5 9-4

Squashtalk Pro Squash Headlines

Event Engine Squash:
Tourney of Champs
US Open
YMG Capital Classic

World Men's Open
Qatar Classic
Cathay Pacific
Superseries
Qatar Masters '02
British Open
Pakistan Open
Macau Open
Melbourne 01
Al Ahram
Video recordings
Player profiles
Rankings
Calendar

COLLEGE USA
Schedules
Team previews

DEPARTMENTS
Latest news
Tournament Calendar
Bronstein Global Gallery
Player of the month
Videos
History
Pakistan Squash
School Squash
Camp Index
Features Index
Player Profiles
Worldwide Clubs
Worldwide Links
Rankings
Jobs

More Good stuff:
About Squash
   Just starting
Books
Juniors Squash
Women's Squash
Regional Reports

Squashtalk.com All materials © 1999-2003. Communicate with us at info@squashtalk.com.
Published by Squashtalk LLC, 95 Martha's Point Rd. Concord MA 01742 USA, Editor and Publisher Ron Beck,
Graphics editor Debra Tessier Send comments, ideas, contributions and feedback to the webmaster.
Copyright © 1999-2003 SquashTalk, all rights reserved, may not be reproduced in any form except for one-time personal use.